In fight against police brutality, activists urge public to #SayHerName

In the US, are black women left out of the conversation on police brutality? Less heard of are cases like those of Rekia Boyd, Yvette Smith and Tanisha Anderson - all unarmed black women killed by police. Adding to the list is the death of 28-year-old Sandra Bland - a black woman stopped for a traffic violation and later found dead in her jail cell of apparent suicide. We'll hear more about their cases at 19:30 GMT.

But activists and members of the African American community say not enough attention has been given to black women's experiences with police brutality.

On July 10, Sandra Bland was arrested for a minor traffic violation in Texas. She was on her way from Chicago to a job interview at Prairie View A&M University in Waller County. The surveillance footage of the confrontation sparked outrage on social media for what many saw as the officer's use of excessive force and accusations that the film was doctored. Three days after Bland was arrested, she was found hanging in her jail cell from a metal hook with a trash can liner around her neck. Conspiracy theories have surfaced on social media regarding her apparent suicide.

I agree that everything about Sandra Bland's arrest and jailing + what is being presented is sketchy +unbelievable https://t.co/9F3xC68HK7Josie Pickens

The case has ignited a national conversation on police brutality against black women. Millions of tweets have been shared with trending hashtags like #JusticeforSandy #JusticeforSandraBland, #WhatHappenedtoSandraBland and #IfIDieInPoliceCustody.

#Ifidieinpolicecustody Do not make calls for peace or forgiveness. Do not speculate about my mental state. I'm Black and constantly enraged.Charlene Carruthers

Smh.. The fact that calls like this are actually needed nowadays. It's scary & heartbreaking-- #JusticeForSandraBland http://t.co/umpYIcWkIQbre day coming soon

One Twitter user @shezumi says she is afraid she will suffer the same fate of Bland and Kindra Chapman, an 18-year-old who died in Alabama police custody one day after Bland. Chapman was arrested for allegedly attempting to steal a cellphone.

I cringe every time I see a police car behind me, for I don't know if I'll die next. #SandraBland #KindraChapman #PoliceBrutalityGentlewomn Redefined

Despite the awareness of Bland's case, some are pointing out the #BlackLivesMatter movement is focused on incidents of police brutality involving black men, while cases involving black women are overshadowed.

The video below features stories of black women killed while either in police custody or by police officers. Three of the women killed by police officers - Yvette Smith, Tanisha Anderson, and Rekia Boyd - were unarmed.

For Harriet - Black Women Matter | FacebookFacebook

The "Say Her Name" initiative launched by the African American Policy Forum aims to create more awareness for black women’s experiences in profiling and policing.

aapf.org

In the video below, Sandra Bland's sister Sharon Cooper discusses her sister's case and urges others to share Sandra's story online. "[The] minute you forget her name, you forget her character and that she was a person," she says.

#SayHerName: Sandra BlandDemos

So do we have to protect ourselves from the system that is supposed to be protecting us ? #SayHerName #SandraBlandJessica

In the last post to her Facebook video diary #SandySpeaks, Bland says that she ultimately wants to unite the black and white races. "I am not against white people. To be successful in this world you have to know how to work with white people."

Sandra Bland | FacebookFacebook

Some warn against a conversation centered on whether or not Bland and Chapman committed suicide. Twitter user @typicalfeminist also pointed out that regardless of the circumstances, the incidents leading up to both deaths should be given special attention.

Even ***IF*** #KindraChapman and #SandraBland actually killed themselves, we should be asking what horrible conditions led them to that.Ponta

Yet another death of a black woman in police custody was reported this week. Ralkina Jones, 37, was found dead in a Cleveland, Ohio jail cell on Sunday.